Protolabs (PRLB)
NYSEIndustrialsManufacturing - MiscellaneousSnapshot 2026-10-29
$68.89-11.27%
Close 2026-10-30 · 1-day change
NYSEIndustrialsManufacturing - MiscellaneousSnapshot 2026-10-29
Research Workspace
Put PRLB beside peers and holdings, graph the same metric, and keep your notes with the evidence.
Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
Industrial Machinery & Supplies & Components is in expansion. Describes the industry's cycle state, not a call on this stock.
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
The reason to own it still holds.
View ThesisRevenue growth is accelerating — up about 12% over the past year.
View GrowthManagement screens strong on the balance sheet, market reaction to earnings.
View ManagementExpectations look high — the market is pricing in about 35% growth a year, above the roughly 7% analysts expect, leaving little room for error.
View ValuationThis stock is volatile — it swings about 2% on a typical day and fell roughly 21% in its worst 12-month stretch.
View RiskProtolabs’ growth case rests on accelerating revenue, though its earnings quality remains robust. Revenue growth rose from 10.4% to 14.0% year over year, and Q3 earnings beat consensus. PRLB trades at 39× earnings versus a 25× peer median, near its own 42× history. The market prices in more growth than our forecast, leaving expectations full. The 29% next-quarter miss probability and premium compression risk challenge this case. Peer multiples imply a price about 34% below where it trades; our read remains intact.
Trailing returns as of 2026-10-30. PRLB is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 5 analysts currently covering PRLB (as of Oct 2026).
Analyst ratings and price targets are third-party Wall Street estimates, not QuarterlyIQ’s view. Not investment advice.
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| Compare | Company | Living FV | P/E | Revenue % | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRLB Selected company | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Peer Add a competitor | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Holding Compare a holding | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review |
Selected metric trend
Quarterly · checked companies · value or % of revenue
A consensus fair price across 11 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-10-29. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus Industrial Machinery & Supplies & Components — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Compare the value case
Put PRLB next to peers and holdings, compare Living FV and multiples, then graph the driver behind the difference.
Advances: Accelerate revenue growth
Record revenue supports growth, while margin pressure tempers the positive thesis impact.
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-10-30. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Above average on quality vs scored peers
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.
Advances: Accelerate revenue growth
US reshoring aligns with revenue growth acceleration.
Advances: Drive operational efficiency
New COO likely to enhance operational efficiency.
Advances: Accelerate revenue growth
Raising revenue guidance supports growth objectives.
Advances: Accelerate revenue growth
Upgrade indicates confidence in revenue growth momentum.
Advances: Increase revenue growth
Lifting guidance indicates strong revenue growth potential.
Advances: Increase revenue growth
Positive revenue growth outlook supports investment thesis.
Advances: Accelerate revenue growth
Earnings call insights enhance growth acceleration narrative.